Roberto Martinez expects Everton FC duo to miss rest of this season

Roberto Martinez admits Arouna Kone and Darron Gibson may not feature for Everton again this season.

Kone has yet to make a full start for the Blues since his £6million move from Wigan last summer and was sidelined by a cartilage problem picked up during October's win over Hull City.

It was feared that the Ivory Coast international would miss the remainder of the current campaign with the problem while Gibson suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury, also two months ago, in the Republic of Ireland's World Cup qualifying win over Kazakhstan.

Martinez had previously remained hopeful on Gibson's recovery but today conceded that he does not expect to see the midfielder or Kone to return to action before the season was out.

The Everton manager also revealed that he expects Leighton Baines to be available in three to four weeks' time following his fractured toe during last month's Merseyside derby with Liverpool.

He said: "We started the first part of his recovery. I think is going to be as long term as we expected. I don't think we're going to see Arouna this season.

"If we can get him back for the final two months of the competition, he's done really well. It was a big chunk of cartilage that had to be repaired in his knee after that incident against Hull City.

"We're very pleased in the way everything has gone but it'll be difficult to see Arouna this season.

"Darron Gibson, in the same manner, we're hoping that we can see him before the season ends but clearly it's a long-term injury as well.

"Leighton Baines is recovering really well but three or four weeks is probably the margin that we're giving ourselves to see him back."